Apparatus for transferring fibrous material



May 2 1954 w. E. o. KNOTHE APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING FIBRQUS MATERIAL 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 19, 1962 M y 1964 w. E. o. KNOTHE APPARATUSFOR TRANSFERRING FIBROUS MATERIAL.

Filed Sept. 19, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 1964 w. E. o. KNOTHE APPARATUSFOR TRANSFERRING FIBROUS MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 19, 1962United States Patent 0 3,134,482 APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING FIBROUSMATERIAL Werner Emil Otto Knothe, Highton, Victoria, Austral a,

assignor to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial ResearchOrganization, East Melbourne, Australia, a

corporation of Australia Filed Sept. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 224,640 Claimspriority, application Australia Sept. 20, 1961 Claims. (Cl. 198-178)This invention relates to apparatus for picking up fibrous material suchas partly processed wool on pins at one position, transferring it toanother position and depositing it at that position. The invention isconcerned particularly with means to clear the material from the pinswhen it is being deposited.

In certain wool processing operation, such as that de-- scribed in thespecification of our prior Australian Patent No. 225,760, it isnecessary to transfer partly processed webs of fibres from one stage toanother. It is desirable during the transfer of material from one stageto the next to effect some overlapping of sections of the material so asto match feeding speeds between successive machines and also to cancelout random irregularities in the material. To this end the web ofmaterial, as it emerges from one stage, is broken into separate lengthsand these lengths are overlapped at the input to the next processingmachine. The transfer is effected by picking up a length of the materialfrom a drum or conveyor associated with a first processing machine,carrying it forward and depositing it on the input conveyor of the nextmachine.

In the apparatus to which this invention relates the means for carryingthis transfer into eifect comprises a plurality of movable pins adaptedto enter the wool and pick it up then carry it forward on the pins withthe pins in a position substantially in line with their direction ofmotion until the point of deposition is reached whereupon the pins arecaused to assume a vertical or near vertical position.

According to this invention the pins, when they drop the wool arecleared by a clearing blade which pushes the wool ofi the ends of thepins. In the preferred form of apparatus according to the invention thepins are arranged in bars each carried between moving chains androtatable about a longitudinal axis and each clearing blade is rotatablymounted about an axis parallel to but displaced from the axis ofrotation of the bar and the plate is urged into contact with the pins sothat upon rotation of the bar about its axis material on the pins isthereby pushed off.

One apparatus according to the invention designed for use between stagesin a wool drafting process employing machines of the type described inour said prior patent specification will now be described by way ofexample and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevation of apparatus according to theinvention,

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal cross section of the apparatus shown inFIGURE 1 but with the framework taken away and showing material beingtransferred,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of part of the apparatus, on the line 33 inFIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 44 in FIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing the pinned bar in thedischarge position, and

FIGURE 6 is a view on the line 6-6 in FIGURE 5.

In the arrangement shown webs of fibre leaving one processing machineare broken into finite lengths and are fed onto the surface of a drum 1.From there, the lengths of web are picked up by the transfer apparatusof this 3,134,482 Patented May 26, 1964 invention and carried forwardhorizontally to a position where they are dropped onto the inputconveyor 2 of the next machine mounted in advance of but lower than thedrum 1.

The transfer apparatus comprises a number of el0n gated pinned bars 3,3a which at their ends are carried by endless chains 4 running onsprockets 5 mounted on framework 6. The chains are arranged in parallelvertical planes to form a horizontally extending conveyor of which thelower run is the forward run. The bars are mounted on the chains bymeans of end plates 7 attached to the chains and these plates providejournals for spindles 8, 9. The spindle 8 constitutes the axis of thepinned bar and a spring 10 connecting the plate 7 to the bar 3 urges thebar into a position such that, on the lower run of the conveyor, thepins 11 lie vertically with their points downwards. The spindle 9 whichis parallel to the pivot axis 8 of the pin bar and which, consideringthe conveyor on its lower run, is below it and to its rear carries aclearing member in the form of a blade 12 which is shaped and arrangedso that its free end 13 extends along the length of the bar and isspring loaded by spring 12A to bear against the backs of the pins 11. Onthe opposite side of the bar to the pins a sheet metal cap 18 isprovided. This cap is such as to make the distance between the root ofthe pins and the top of the cap somewhere of the order of the mean fibrelength and this has been found to prevent lapping of the fibres aroundthe bar.

At one end of the bar, the spindle 8 projects through the plate 7 andcarries an arm 14 on which is mounted a rotatable cam follower 15. Itwill be observed that this occurs at opposite ends of the bars 3 and 3A.Mounted one at each side of the frame 6 are cam tracks 16, 16A. Eachtrack follows generally the path of the chains 4 from a position just inadvance of the drum 1; however the track 16 extends much further alongthe frame than does the track 16A. The difference between their lengthsis equal to the distance separating the bars 3, 3A. The cam followers 15on the bars engage in these tracks and this engagement causes the arms14 to rotate the bars so that the pins assume a position in which theyare pointing forwardly and are, on the lower run, inclined about 20 tothe horizontal.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The first processing machine partially treats wool fibres and forms theminto a broad sliver which it breaks into separate pieces 17 which are oflength of the order of but greater than the distance separating the bars3, 3A. These pieces of material are fed to the drum 1 and the feeding ofthe pieces to the drum and the movement of the chains 4 are synchronisedso that the pins of the bar 3 enter the piece of material near to itsfront edge and pick it up and carry it forwardly. This movementcontinues and the next bar 3A picks up the rear end of the piece and thepiece is carried bodily forward. During this time the engagement of thecam followers 15 with the tracks 16 and 16A keeps the pins pointedforwardly and the wool is kept up on the pins. The lengths of the tracksare arranged such that when the piece of wool is at the appropriate position above the conveyor 2 the followers are clear of the tracks andthe two bars 3 and 3A simultaneously rotate under the influence of thesprings so that their pins assume a vertical orientation. At the sametime the blade 12 is rotated and its end 13, due to the relativedisposition of the axes S and 9, pushes the wool oil? the pins so thatit drops down onto the conveyor 2. The speed of the conveyor 2 is muchless than that of the drum 1 so that overlapping of the pieces occurs asis shown in FIGURE 2. The next set of bars 3', 3A pick up another pieceof material from the drum 1 and so the process continues and the piecesof wool are taken from the drum 1 and overlapped on the conveyor 2 andthe clearing action of the 1. Apparatus for transferring fibrousmaterial from a first position to a second position comprising aplurality of pins mounted in a movable bar which is rotatable about alongitudinal axis; a clearing blade urged against the pins and rotatableabout an axis parallel to but displaced from the axis of the bar; saidpins being adapted to enter the material at the first position and topick it up and carry it forwardly with the pins in asubstantiallyhorizontal disposition; and means to rotate the bar at a predeterminedpositionsto cause the pins to assume a substantially verticaldisposition and thereby cause the clearing blade to push the materialoff the pins and depositit at the second position. a

'2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bar is releasablyconstrained by means of a'cam to the position in which the pins aresubstantially horizontal and upon release of the cam is caused by springpressure to assume the position in which the pins are substantiallyvertical. 3; Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, and comprising at least apair'of pinned bars spaced apart and mounted between spaced parallelmovable bands and operated in synchronism with fibre feeding means topickup between them at said first position finite lengths of materialand carry them forwardly; and cam tracks arranged in relation to themoving bands so that the cams on the bars engage the tracks and maintainthe pins in the substantially horizontal position while the material isbeing carried forwardly and simultaneously and at predeterminedpositions release the cams so that the pins assume the substantiallyvertical position thereby causing the material to be deposited inoverlapping relationship on a movable conveyor at said second position.-

4. An apparatus for transferring fibrous material comprising an endlessconveyor member, a plurality of pin members adapted to'enter thematerial, means supporting said pin members for movement with saidconveyor member and for pivotal movement relative thereto from asubstantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position,said pin members being positioned to enter the material at a firstposition and carry it forward with said pin members substantiallyhorizontally disposed to support the material, and means 'for pivotingsaid pin members relative to the conveyor member to assume saidsubstantially vertical position at a second position Where it is desiredto deposit the material, and a clearing blade movable relative to saidpin members to efiect movement of thematerial from said pin members atsaid second position.

5. An apparatus for transferring fibrous mterial as defined in claim 4wherein means is provided for effecting movementof said clearing bladerelative to said pin members While said pin members are moving to saidvertical position to strip the fibrous material from said pin memberswhile said pin members move tosaid vertical position. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS'851,122 v Duensing Apr. 23, 1 907

1. APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING FIBROUS MATERIAL FROM A FIRST POSITION TOA SECOND POSITION COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PINS MOUNTED IN A MOVABLEBAR WHICH IS ROTATABLE ABOUT A LONGITUDINAL AXIS; A CLEARING BLADE URGEDAGAINST THE PINS AND ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS PARALLEL TO BUT DISPLACEDFROM THE AXIS OF THE BAR; SAID PINS BEING ADAPTED TO ENTER THE MATERIALAT THE FIRST POSITION AND TO PICK IT UP AND CARRY IT FORWARDLY WITH THEPINS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL DISPOSITION; AND MEANS TO ROTATE THEBAR AT A PREDETERMINED POSITION TO CAUSE THE PINS TO ASSUME ASUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL DISPOSITION AND THEREBY CAUSE THE CLEARING BLADETO PUSH THE MATERIAL OFF THE PINS AND DEPOSIT IT AT THE SECOND POSITION.